16 A Basketball Match (1)

Two weeks came to an end. Students gathered inside the school's covered court for the flag ceremony.

Friedde stood there in the line of students, staring off into the distance. He looks haggard. Dark circles formed underneath his eyes.

He had been unable to take a good rest a few weeks after Sherdan broke up with him. He was expecting the other to come back to him. To beg for his forgiveness.

He will, of course, won't give in easily, so he can give Sherdan some lesson. He will only accept him once he sees him regretting what he did. But nothing happened. These imaginary scenarios in his head never happened.

Sherdan never sought him out for forgiveness. Sherdan didn't talk to him even if he subtly gave him signals. And Sherdan won't look at him of his own free will, only ever glancing at him when he wasn't aware that he was in there. He was cold, uncaring, and indifferent.

Friedde doesn't know why Sherdan's treating him like this. Sure, he hesitated for while before he finally accepted the other's proposal to become his boyfriend. But that wasn't enough reason to justify why he's being treated worse than a stranger.

A tear dropped from his eyes. It slowly glided down his cheeks, but he was unable to realize it.

Friedde felt his chest tightening for an unknown reason. He felt indignation, hatred, and emotion he can't fathom.

"H-hey! You alright man?" Someone saw him like this and patted his shoulders. Friedde snapped out of his reverie and only backed away from the guy who touched him.

"Yeah." He replied, disinterestedly. The guy noticed him obviously avoiding him and just left.

Friedde was once again lost in his thoughts after he was left alone.

Contrary to this gloomy and depressed guy, Sherdan was doing quite well. His mild sprain had long healed due to Lucian's help now and then.

He was standing on the last of the row. Since the order was based on height, and he's the tallest among his peers.

Arice stood just before him after arriving, he was almost late. Martin and Sean, were nowhere in sight, probably still on the way here.

The two of them were the ones who were always locked out outside the gates whenever there's a flag ceremony.

Sean is normally a 'strict' and proper student, but one bad habit he really can't get rid of is getting up late. Thus, he was never on time.

Martin, he's just lazy.

Arice looked at Sherdan who was standing there quietly, with his fingers on his chin, posing like a detective. He had a look at someone who wanted to pry on something, and he did without a moment later.

"I didn't know you and Lucian are close."

Sherdan looked at him for a second, and for a moment he didn't know what to answer. Were the two of them close? They're not. They're simply in a contract. A business partner.

But Sherdan won't deny the fact that Lucian often made him feel like a teenager from his naive antics.

Nevertheless, he can't use this explanation as an answer as it will only cause him more trouble. Thus, he just answered perfunctorily.

"Hmmm. We are."

Arice' brows raised. His mouth breaking into a mischievous grin. Making him appear more like his nickname, a "Minx".

For a guy, being called a Minx is an insult, but rather than despising it, Arice lives up to his nickname shamelessly.

"I see. How about your dear Friedde? You no longer obsess over him?" Arice said, his head a bit tilted, while his eyes were staring at Sherdan a bit provocatively. Discerning whether Sherdan's moods will fluctuate.

Sherdan only looked at Arice with an impassive face.

"Yeah." He affirmed. Arice's ears twitch and after hearing such a surprising thing, he laughed merrily without a care in the world. The flag ceremony hasn't started yet, so he immediately caught several student's attention. But he didn't care, and he continued laughing.

"I see, I see. That's new. So unlike you." He said a few moments after he stopped giggling to himself. Arice then didn't mind him anymore and whistled, his eyes carried a bit of playfulness, and also a hint of mischief.

Sherdan ignored him, even though he felt that Arice might be up to something, he didn't mind it. After all, no matter how much that guy plays, he wasn't vile enough to hurt his friends.

Arice was probably the only one in his high school friend circle that knows about him and Friedde on the original timeline, and even until now, it seems like he also does.

Arice was exceptional when it comes to observing human emotions, he's also clever and cunning, but he was too willful. That despite Sherdan trying to recruit him under his company before, he didn't yield and continued with his free-man lifestyle. Never taking anything seriously.

Whatever Arice might do, Sherdan is sure it was only his way to entertain himself.

The flag ceremony ended later on, and they went back to class. Sean and Martin then entered the room in a hurry, both look like they only got up recently and came in a rush.

The four of them gathered inside the classroom again, their circle attracted several people's attention like usual.

But they were already way too used to it, that they no longer felt uncomfortable like the first time. It wasn't welcome, but they see no need to force other people to stop looking at them. As it might only end up in a messy conversation.

Morning classes ended, and it was already time for lunch. The four of them went to the cafeteria to eat. The day seems uneventful, as there was not anything interesting happening.

Martin offered to buy their food and stood up. He was about to stand in the lines of students but was suddenly stopped by a cute girl with noticeable long wavy hair.

She had a dewy face and a fair skin complexion. Her lips resemble that of a cupid's bow, and her nose was pointy but small. Paired with slightly big, almond-shaped eyes, she looks so enchanting.

Martin was surprised after seeing her face up closed and immediately blushed. He had never been this close with a girl! More so, he rarely ever had to converse with girls, especially this type of beautiful girls

And so he panicked and didn't know what to do.

"Senior!." The girl said she had an expression of someone who delighted.

" I'm Peiya. I'm 2 years your junior, and I ---- I like you!" The cute girl said with a hint of a hurry. Martin was flustered that he was unable to think clearly.

Sherdan, Arice, and Sean watched this along with several other students on the sideline and were so surprised that they were dumbfounded.

That came out of nowhere.

"W-wha--wha"

"What?!"

"I-i-i a-actually i-i!---" Martin was utterly dumbfounded that he can't say anything. But before he even had time to ponder on what to say, a man's voice was heard in all corners of the cafeteria. It was a loud, irritated shout of a man.

"PEIYA! What the hell are you doing?!" A tall man shouted, his voice held apparent anger. He had a young face, but his handsome appearance is crystal clear.

A young beauty!.

The girl Peiya flinched and gripped Martin's arms tightly. She went behind his back, using Martin as her shield.

Martin finally snapped out of it and was confused at Peiya's actions.

"I'm sorry Senior," Peiya muttered. Martin heard her say something, but it was so low that he was unable to decipher.

"I told you I like someone else already! You can go back to your basketball! Might as well marry it while you're at it!" Peiya shouted, her face getting red and her eyes were fierce.

Everyone in the cafeteria gawk at this scene, almost wanting to buy some popcorn, so they can enjoy the show even better.

The other guy, Mile, softened. His angry appearance shifting into a guilty one.

"I'm sorry Pei. I should have----"

"Shut up!! Go! Go! Don't chase me anymore. I like this Senior. Senior ... uh..." Peiya paused for a moment, and quietly asked for Martin's name. Martin was so muddleheaded that he gave it to her, unable to process this abrupt event.

"Senior Martin! Senior Martin is taller than you! And he also has muscles! And he, he, he's probably kind." Peiya said, her arguments sounded childish.

Everyone laughed because of this childish exchange of banters. What is this sudden circus?

"What? I'm still a growing kid. And if you think that will take me back off, you're wrong---" Mile was interrupted again.

"You suck at basketball! Senior Martin is definitely better than you!" Peiya said her face irritant.

Mile's veins snapped. He was frozen in the spot after hearing what Peiya said.

"W-what? I s-suck at what? Better than me?! Ha! How can that guy be better than me when he looks like he had never lifted a ball all his life!" Mile, who was so obsessed with basketball felt like he had been trampled on like an ant. The blow was so painful, it almost killed him!.

Anything but insults about his basketball skills, he can't take that! No! Never.

Mile who was so flustered his face turned red shouted with his fingers pointing at Martin.

"You! Fight me in a basketball play! If I won, leave Peiya alone!" This young boy couldn't accept such an insult.

Poor Martin just stood there, his mind took too long to process this big-unprecedented-unexpected data.

What?

Was he

Was he just used by his junior to make her lover jealous? Him?

Why him?

Martin can feel his heart breaking into two. Invisible tears flowed down from his eyes. A 16-year-old him was just living quietly, but was suddenly used as a scapegoat? And he thought he had already received his first-ever confession!

And now he was being challenged in basketball?! In basketball!

He, who can't even dribble a ball properly?

Anyone, save him out of this predicament. This upcoming humiliation. Martin felt his soul escaping. How to avoid this issue without looking like an embarrassment?

Sherdan, Arice, and Sean watched this event unfolding on the sideline and almost wanted to laugh. The three of them know Martin can't play basketball. He was so much nonathletic that normal things were like a hell-mode difficulty for him.

Sean could no longer take this lying down and felt like he had to do something. And so he stood up and went towards where the commotion is.

" Junior Peiya. You should let go of Martin. It is extremely improper of you to use someone to your benefit, especially without their consent." Sean said, his voice was strict and reproving.

Peiya flinched, and after seeing that Sean was scolding her, she felt guilty. Sadness was visible on her cute face.

Mile saw this scene of his beloved getting 'bullied' and was immediately furious. He went to Peiya and snatched her, hiding her in his back.

"You! Why are you bullying Peiya!?"

Sean didn't mind his shouting and explained his side. They said, younger people are sensitive to negative words, thus the only way to educate them is to be kind when explaining.

"I wasn't bullying her. I was merely advising-"

"Shut up! You ugly cockalorum!" Mile shouted.

Silence. There was only silence.

"Ugly cockalorum?"

"SAY THAT AGAIN YOU FU*#*#*#"

"COME! I'LL FIGHT YOU. LET'S PLAY BASKETBALL! I'LL SM*@&# YOUR &#*@& WITH #^$&#"

Sherdan sighed, Martin face-palmed, and Arice laughed loudly. Right, this 'strict' , 'proper' and 'well-educated' man absolutely hated getting insulted.